What does it mean to be ethical--honestly?

I have been wondering lately why one person may find
something unethical, when another person does not.
What is it inside of us that governs our conscious?

No piece of paper can guarantee good, ethical behavior.
It seems in this day we are always asked to sign our names to agreements,
as if that will make everything okay should a dispute arise.
Well, it may make everything okay on paper,
but not if the people involved do not behave with integrity
not of there is no clear distinction between black and white, right and wrong.
So we all agree it is wrong to cheat, lie, and steal.
But people in powerful positions do it all the time,
because they feel protected...maybe even above the law--maybe they are just plain greedy.
Is it unethical to be greedy?
Is it dishonest?

Thomas Edison once said, "Who you are will show in what you do."
If you are an unethical person, a greedy person, a gossip, others are going to notice,
because who you are will show in what you do.

Here are a few thoughts about what it means to be honest

There are two dimensions to honesty:

* Honesty in communication
* Honesty in conduct

Honesty in communications requires good faith intent to be truthful, accurate, straightforward and fair in all communications so that persons are not misled or deceived. Honesty in communications requires truthfulness, sincerity, and candor.

Honesty in conduct prohibits stealing, cheating, fraud, deception and other forms of dishonesty or trickery to acquire anything of value (including money, jobs, competitive information or the approval of others).

Moral courage requires us to do what is right even when it is likely to cost us more than we want to pay
and more than we think is fair. It occasionally requires us to stand up and be counted,
to fight for our beliefs, to demonstrate the courage of our convictions.

Moral courage is integrity. Integrity is what governs our ethical behavior,
it requires us to treat our beliefs about right and wrong as ground rules
of behavior and decision making.

Ask yourself- do your actions line up with who you "say" you are?
Are you a person with integrity?